By Eurohoops team/ info@eurohoops.net
Baskonia beat top-seeded CSKA Moscow 76 – 73 in Vitoria in what may be a potentially huge win for the struggling Basques.
“It was the game we needed to show Europe that we can get to the playoffs,” Baskonia center Vincent Poirier said in his post-game flash interview.
Poirier, Baskonia’s leader in the match with a team-high 18 points, eight rebounds plus a game-high 25 PIR, wasn’t joking. Thanks to this win, Baskonia is once again making a case for the playoffs since they improved their record to 4-7 to climb at the 11th place. Meanwhile, CSKA suffered just its second loss in the season and dropped at No. 2 with 2-9.
The Russian team had some chances to send the game to overtime but in the last seconds, Nando De Colo missed a contested shot from beyond the arc and then Alec Peters, who finished with a season-high 20 points, didn’t drain an open 3-pointer.
Following a very close battle, Baskonia transformed the 66 – 69 deficit to a 74 – 71 lead thanks to points by Poirier and captain Tornike Shengelia (15 points, eight rebounds) who stepped up big with key buckets down the stretch. Kyle Hines (14 points, seven rebounds) put CSKA closer and then Poirer scored the tip-in to bring the advantage back to 3. Sergio Rodriguez and Luca Vildoza had back-to-back 3-point shots off target, until the last play where CSKA didn’t manage to tie the match.
Apart from Peters, Cory Higgins added 17 points for CSKA. Matt Janning had 13 for Baskonia.